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Michael Jordan and NASCAR settled a federal antitrust lawsuit accusing the racing league of being a “monopolistic bully” on Thursday. NASCAR agreed to make the charters at the heart of its business model permanent for Cup Series teams.
The dispute had been going on for more than a year, with Jordan’s 23XI Racing team competing without a charter for much of that time. Now 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports, the two plaintiffs, will get their charters back after running uncharted for most of the past season.
The financial terms of the settlement were not disclosed, but an economist previously testified that 23XI and Front Row owed more than $300 million in damages.
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Michael Jordan, center, and Curtis Polk, left, co-owners of 23XI Racing, watch during qualifying next to 23XI Racing president Steve Lauletta, right, for a NASCAR Cup Series Championship auto race on Nov. 9, 2024, in Avondale, Ariz. (AP Photo/John Locher)
“Today is a good day,” Jordan said.
The settlement came on the ninth day of a trial before U.S. District Judge Kenneth Bell, who set aside an hour-long sidebar hearing.
Front Row and 23XI filed their lawsuit last year after refusing to sign agreements on the new charter offers NASCAR presented in September 2024. The teams had until the end of one day to sign the 112-page document, which guarantees access to top-level Cup Series races and a revenue stream, and 13 of 15 organizations balked. Jordan and Jenkins instead sued and rode most of the 2025 season undetected.
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Team 23Xi co-owner Michael Jordan with Denny Hamlin on pit road before qualifying for the June 24, 2023 NASCAR Cup Series Ally 400 at Nashville SuperSpeedway in Lebanon, Tenn. (Jeff Robinson/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Both teams said a loss in the case would have put them out of business.
“What all parties have always agreed on is a deep love for the sport and a desire to see it fulfill its full potential,” NASCAR and the plaintiffs said in a joint statement. “This is a watershed moment, one that ensures NASCAR’s foundation is stronger, its future brighter and its opportunities greater.”
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23XI Racing co-owners Denny Hamlin and Michael Jordan talk on the gridiron after the NASCAR Cup Series YellaWood 500 at Talladega Superspeedway October 6, 2024 in Talladega, Ala. (Chris Graythen/Getty Images)
All teams felt the previous revenue-sharing agreement was unfair, and over two years of bitter negotiations led to NASCAR’s final offer, which was described by the teams as “take it or leave it.” The teams believed that the new agreement lacked all four of their key demands, most importantly that the charters be made permanent rather than renewable.
The settlement followed eight days of testimony in which the Florida-based France family, the founders and private owners of NASCAR, appeared adamant about making the charters permanent.
